Finding Him
by kidishcaresh
Summary: A fight between Heero and Duo leads to many discoveries.


**Finding him**

**Pairings: 1x2 3x4 5xS**

**Author notes: A fic for the MoR 2012 anniversary contest. It was great fun to enter! There were so many stories and they were all so very awesome! Moments of Rapture contests are so much fun!**

**Disclaimer: I own only the story idea my OC's and nothing else. The rest belongs to the people who created and sold it.**

**Story:**

"You know what? Forget it!" Duo yelled angrily as he stalked away to the bedroom.

"Duo! Damnit Duo!" Heero yelled angrily as the door hit him on the nose. He'd followed Duo who smacked the door shut rather hard. Heero was just about to attempt entering the room again when a pillow and blanket as well as his work uniform were thrown into his face. Heero stared at the closed door and sighed softly. He dragged his pillow and blanket to the couch and slumped down on it.

Heero had gotten a call from Relena again with another job for him. Duo was for some reason angry at the fact that Heero worked for Relena and time and time again insisted that Heero quit working for the girl. Heero having barely any social skills to count on especially when it came to love was completely oblivious to Duo's true reason for this and the more Heero was asked for jobs by Relena the worse the strain on their relationship had become. Today however it finally escalated to the point where Heero had been banned from his own bedroom. Duo had never made him sleep on the couch before and Heero wasn't too sure he liked it.

Heero sighed. He already regretted having called Duo an idiot among other things. He didn't understand why his working for Relena made Duo unhappy when the boy seemed to have no problem with him working for Preventors. Both were equally dangerous after all. If anything Relena's jobs were safer as they didn't involve explosives and mass numbers of enemies…well at least not trained enemies. Lately though things had been strained between them. Heero had noticed Duo was becoming more withdrawn, but was too bothered by his own problems to really try and do anything about it. He didn't know how to breach the subject anyways.

"Duo?" Heero said leaning against the locked bedroom door. He'd been unable to sleep all night as guilt ate at him.

"I'm sorry…I-damnit…Yes?! Oh yes, no…can't…okay alright…yes…20 got it." Heero began only to be interrupted by his phone.

"Duo…I have a mission for Preventors with Wufei…when I get back we'll talk…so…please won't you come see me off?" Heero said quietly. The door unlocked and Duo gave Heero his gun and a quick kiss before retreating. Heero wasn't sure if they were good now, but a car horn honked repeatedly before he could ask.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOE O

"Mission is easy. We have a ledge from where we can assess things prior to entry and dismantling the place." Wufei said handing a manila folder to Heero. Heero nodded as he stared at the folder. He wondered about his options for other work. Maybe if he could find something like a desk job of sorts. Duo would be happier; Heero knew he'd be bored out of his mind, but really what else could he do?

"HEERO!" Wufei said loudly. Heero turned and glared at the other boy for startling him.

"You weren't answering. Get in another fight with Duo?" Wufei asked looking at his partner and friend who sighed and nodded.

"I think he's angry because I work for Relena…I don't understand though…it's no more dangerous than working for Preventors." Heero said as he set to reading the files he'd never even skimmed while thinking.

"Maybe." Wufei murmured. He knew full well that it wasn't the danger of the job, but the person Heero worked for that Duo had a problem with. Trowa, Quatre and He had a bet going on as to how long it would take Heero to figure out that Duo was just very insecure and insanely jealous at the fact that Heero worked for Relena and she monopolized Heero's time with her need for him to guard her. Wufei knew that unless Heero realized the true reason behind Duo's dislike for Heero's current work situation it'd be a while before things between the two got better.

"We don't have to go in…there's a window that aligns with the cliff you mentioned…it's directly lined with the device they want us to disable. One good shot should do it…" Heero murmured as he looked at the blueprints of the building and the thereon mentioned machines.

"That would make our job easier as it'd be harder to link that back to Preventors." Wufei said as they pulled up at the base of the cliff and started their track uphill to finish their mission.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Okay Yuy you take the shot and we get out of here." Wufei murmured after about 5 hours of waiting for the right moment to take the shot between guard shifts as they wanted enough time to get out of there should their target realize where the shot had come from.

"Why me?" Heero asked staring at his partner.

"You're the best shot out of both of us. We only have one chance and I don't want to risk having to go in and disable that behemoth the hard way." Wufei said giving Heero a pointed look. Heero let out a frustrated sigh and got ready to take aim. Seconds later he sat up again.

"I can't. You do it." he said pushing the gun into Wufei's hands.

"What do you mean you can't Yuy?!" Wufei asked giving his partner a hard glare.

"I just can't okay? Besides you're almost as good a shot as me so it shouldn't be a problem for you to take the shot." Heero hissed glaring back.

Wufei glared at Heero a moment longer then let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm nearsighted. I can't see what I'm shooting at." he finally admitted. Heero gave him a strange look.

"Why don't you wear lenses or glasses?" he finally asked.

"Because I broke my last pair of spare lenses just before I got the call for the mission. I didn't expect to have to do any long distance aiming on this mission. That's why I said you should do it." Wufei hissed shoving the gun back.

"I can't do it…" Heero said looking down.

"Aside from our window having passed I don't see why y-" Wufei began. He stopped however mid word when he caught sight of the gun in Heero's hand; It was shaking. No the gun wasn't; Yuy was.

"Yuy…" Wufei asked unsure of how to word his question.

"J's tampering...my hands tremble…I only just barely managed during the Marimeia incident…and only because Zero did most of the work for me." Heero admitted not looking at his friend.

"Isn't there…can't you…Does…" Wufei stammered as his brain tried to grasp the information he'd just learned.

"Normal medication doesn't work on me due to J's tampering. All they could give me is a very heavy suppressant…I didn't take it because I had a job to do and I can't do it if I'm half out of it from medication. No Duo doesn't know. I take my medication in the evening and early morning so he won't notice that I'm out of it that much and with medication I barely tremble. Relena's jobs usually entail blocking and hand to hand combat. I'm not as bothered by my limitations. Relena has been helping me figure out what work I can do with these hands." Heero said easily piecing together what his friend wanted to ask. He quietly laid the gun down as it began to shake more violent and took a deep breath. He waited for Wufei to come to terms with what he just learned and focus again.

"We can still do this though. In another 7 minutes we'll have a new window of chance. If you take the shot I'll help you take aim." Heero said when Wufei said nothing.

"How will you pull that off?" Wufei asked.

"I can't shoot because of the shaking, but you can't because you can't see the target. If I tell you how many degrees to what side you're off then you can compensate accordingly. All you'd need to do is shoot where I tell you to." Heero explained. Wufei nodded and they quickly worked out a position that would allow Heero to assess the angle of Wufei's gun easily.

"Pray I hit something or we're going to be in big trouble." Wufei murmured as he made the final adjustment that Heero called out. Heero nodded and checked one final time.

"Fire." he said quietly. Wufei fired and the bullet left the weapon shooting true and straight through the window and into the machine behind it. The result was to them a satisfying miniature explosion inside the machine.

"Nice, what was I shooting with?" Wufei asked as they trudged back to the car waiting for them.

"Explosive rounds in a long distance sniper rifle." Heero said calmly.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Talk with him Yuy. I'm sure Duo will listen." Wufei said when he dropped his partner off. Heero smiled an awkward smile back and nodded.

"For what it's worth you don't look dorky with glasses and they shouldn't be a reason for Une to declare you unfit for field work. If she does have Quatre talk to her. He did for Duo. She stopped bothering him after Quatre had words with her." Heero said. Wufei nodded and drove off wondering how long it would be before Heero realized what really caused the braided boy such discomfort at the thought of Heero working with Relena.

Heero walked up to his house and unlocked the door. He silently slipped into the bedroom and made quick work of removing his clothes without a sound. It was 3 at night. He didn't want to wake Duo at this late hour. He'd talk to his lover in the morning. He could only hope Duo didn't lock him out of the bedroom again before he got a chance to apologize though; that couch was the most awful place he'd ever slept in and he'd slept in some darn uncomfortable places in his young life.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

With a pained cry Heero shot up staring wildly around until he realized he was in his bedroom. He laid back down and gasped for several moments until he felt the panic fade enough for him to function. His eyes searched out the other side of the bed and found it empty. The clock on the nightstand told him it was several hours past noon.

"Duo?" Heero called sitting up. No answer came and there was no sound of running water. The room was deafeningly quiet. Heero got up and walked out into the living room, but found it empty too. Panic gripped him again and with the dream still fresh in his mind he searched on until he found himself sitting on the bed holding the phone in his trembling hands.

Duo was gone. His old jacket and worn boots were gone and so were several of his other older clothes; the priest outfit Duo had worn when they first met was gone, but the new jeans and band shirts were still there. Most of Duo's weapons were there also; only his retractable scythe and the worn old daggers were missing. It made no sense. Duo had left while Heero slept and taken only the things he'd owned before the end of the war.

Heero growled softly in frustration as his fingers trembled worse than before and it took him five tries to dial up Quatre's number. Quatre was the one Duo would go to most likely. The blond lived closest to them and had been the first real ally and friend Duo made out of the five of them.

"Heero?" Quatre asked as his face appeared on the phone screen.

"Quatre, is Duo with you? He left while I was sleeping. We had a fight before my last job…I think…I think he might have left because of me." Heero said looking at Quatre's image and Trowa's as the taller boy leaned over Quatre's shoulder to see who called. Quatre blinked and looked at Trowa a moment.

"He's not here Heero. I doubt though that he'd run away over a fight. I'm sure he'll be back." Quatre said. Heero could see that the blond was very uncomfortable.

"You're not telling me everything you know Winner." Heero said bluntly. His dream had already left him feeling vulnerable and panicked and he didn't like it; nor did he like his friend lying to him.

"I'm not. It's not for me to tell. You'll just have to trust me when I say that Duo will come back and that he didn't leave because of you." Quatre said before hanging up.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Quatre leaned against Trowa and sighed softly.

"It's not up to us to tell him about it. Duo wouldn't want that. If he didn't tell Heero then he has his reasons." Trowa murmured quietly.

"I know…but I hate having to do this to him…" Quatre murmured back before leaning up to kiss his lover.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOE O

Heero stared at the phone in shock. Quatre winner had hung up on him after bluntly telling him to leave Duo be wherever he was. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that, but right now he had other things to worry about; like where Duo had gone. After he got over his shock he spent several minutes calling friends of Duo's and finally after having all of them tell him to let it be and wait for Duo to get back home in a week or so he decided to call Wufei and ask him what to do. He knew that there was little chance that he'd get anywhere with that call, but Wufei at least would be honest even if painfully so.

"I was wondering when you'd call." Wufei said pushing up his glasses. The oval shaped, gold rimmed glasses made the Chinese youth look studious and mature for his age Heero noticed.

"Then you know what I want to know." Heero said quietly.

"I do and I can't tell you. It's not up to me to tell you this. If you want to know you'll have to ask him." Wufei said.

"Yes I know and he'll be back in a week or so. I've heard it before. I don't want to wait. I want to know where he is now." Heero said glaring at Wufei. He was tired; so very tired of going round in circles and not getting any answers.

"You're not stupid Yuy. If you want answers you'll have to go there and get them yourself." Wufei said and with that he ended the call.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Do you think he'll figure it out?" Sally asked looking at Wufei with slight worry on her face.

"Like I just said; he's not stupid. He knows where to find Duo. I just pray it won't turn into another of their famous shouting matches. Or gods forbid Heero breaking with Duo." Wufei said sighing softly and giving his own reflection another look.

"I remember why I hated these now. They just keep slipping down." he muttered pushing the glasses back up as Sally chuckled at his admission.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Heero frowned and stared at the now shattered phone. Wufei said he'd have to go there and find his answers for himself, but where is there? There would be where Duo is right now, but Wufei didn't tell him that bit. Damn… Heero got up and began to pack his things.

'Quatre, Howard, Hilde and Wufei all said he'd be back within a week or so…that would suggest he does this more often, but I can't remember an instance that Duo left for a week…' Heero murmured. He walked into the kitchen and prepared a travel pack with enough food and water for a week and found himself staring at the calendar. There on the calendar on the date of today stood 02y15. Heero frowned at it and leafed back through the calendar. Nowhere in it did he find anything similar though. He blinked and walked to the old paper bin and picked up the calendar he himself had tossed in there other day when he'd put up the new one. He leafed through it and blinked as there on the same date as on the new calendar stood 02y14. Three days before it he noticed his own hand writing saying mission till 02/02…

'I was on a mission…I wouldn't have known…y14…y15…year 14 and 15 a reoccurring thing…02…' Heero thought staring at the calendar. Suddenly he dropped the old calendar on the ground and grabbed his bag. He was out the door and on his way in seconds.

'Of course, the only other place he would go to is the L2 colony. Something is happening there…something that happens every year…something that takes Duo a week…I have 6 more days to find him…' Heero thought as he sped off to the nearest space port and booked himself a flight to L2.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Heero?" Hilde asked staring at the boy who stood before her.

"I don't care what any of you say. I'm going to find Duo. I have to." Heero said giving the girl before him an intense look that said he wasn't going to drop this.

"Well like I said before I can't help you. Good luck Heero." Hilde said calmly. She shook her head as she watched the messy haired brunette stalk off.

"That boy is so lost." she murmured smiling.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Heero began his quest at the scrap yard and from there set out to scour through the entire colony if he had to. He first went through the places where plenty of people were. On his second day in the L2 colony he searched the area surrounding the scrap yard and Hilde's house. On the third day he strayed away from the streets and set to scouring the alleyways. He slept in an abandoned warehouse near where he ended his search that day and woke disgruntled and unhappy.

Heero ate a granola bar and drank some water before setting out to find his Duo. He was beginning to believe he might never find his lover when he saw it. He'd turned a corner when he saw the chestnut braid trailing around the corner at the end of the street. His heart fluttering with hope Heero gave chase and soon found himself growling as the elusive chestnut haired man managed to keep ahead of him enough that Heero only ever saw the braid trailing around the corners.

Heero growled and sped up before launching at the braid and attempting to tackle the owner. This plan however went quickly awry and he soon found himself flat on his back with a little kid looking down at him. His heart dropped though when he saw her hair. A long chestnut braid trailed behind the kid; a girl he now saw.

"You really should be more careful mista. It ain't safe here. Whatcha doin' back here anywho." the little girl asked looking at him expectantly.  
"I'm...looking for a friend." Heero finally said quietly as he got up. Part of him was quietly sulking over a scrawny girl knocking him on his behind and the rest of him worried for Duo. The bit of rationality he had was oddly quiet and didn't comment on the safety in talking to this kid.  
"Really well what's his name?" the girl asked; her eyes never looking at one spot long enough.  
'Like Duo...' Heero's mind supplied.  
"I..." Heero began before realizing that he might be using an alias and being cut off by the girl at the same time.  
"Y'know on second thought he might not use t' name he gave you. If he L2 born that is. What's he look like mista? Y' friend I mean." she said tilting her head expectantly.  
"Hair like yours, same color, but longer also braided. Eyes...I think blue, but sometimes they look indigo or even deep purple. About my length, probably my age...I think. Usually wears black...a priest shirt possibly..." Heero murmured trying to remember what Duo might have worn.  
"Oh I know! Y're talkin' bout Shin! He's well known round here! C'mon mista I'll show ya where. He should come by this week. Always does...I'm thinkin' thurseday 's 15 years then...20 also...hard t' believe it wus the same day for both." the girl said already walking away. Heero followed her quickly.  
"What do you mean both?" he asked.  
"Y' Shin's friend n y' dunno?" the girl asked incredulously. Heero shook his head.  
"He never talked about before we met...I didn't want to make him hurt by remembering bad things...so I didn't ask." he answered. The rational part of him wondered why he told her this; the rest of him ignored it.  
"Ah, well he dun talk t' us bout it either...we know cuz it's common knowledge...every streetrat knows Shin n knows why." the girl said.  
"Can you tell me?" Heero asked.  
"Dunno. Not mine to tell. If Shin didn't say he dun trust you or dun want you to know fer other reasons." the girl said leading him through the crowded streets.

"Duo...am I the only one who doesn't know? I thought...I..." Heero murmured slowing to a stop beside the alley the girl had just gone into.  
"Hey come on now! What's wrong mista?" the girl said pulling him into the alley. She sighed softly as she saw the look on his face. All this time he'd seemed worried, but now he looked down right lost and sad.  
"Alright...I'll tell ya, butcha gotta promise t' never tell no one!" she finally said.  
"I wouldn't." Heero said quickly.  
"N only cuz I c'n tell ya love Shin." she added poking him in the chest. Heero stared at the girl incredulous. How had she known? He had been so careful not to give it away. The girl grinned.  
"Anyone c'n see, sides y' came to here for Shin. No one's ever gone n come t' L2 for Shin. C'mon it's not far now. Shin is well known round here. Any rat knows bout him. Shin's the king of rats. Before Shin there wus another; Solo..." the girl began.

"N that's when Shin came back t' th' streets. He left short after course t' fight in t' war. Now he lives on earth, but he comes back every year t' visit this place. That's t' tale." the girl finished. Heero stared the scorched ground, the rubble that once was a church building littering the area and the neat row of graves each marked with a stone with a name on it. 12 were marked with unknown rebel m or f which Heero guessed to be male or female rebels that had been in the church when it was destroyed. There were 30 small ones with names on them four of them were with the last two big graves a bit to the side. In front of each grave stood a small vase with a single white flower.  
"There." the girl whispered pointing to the last grave. There sitting crouched before the grave was Duo. He was putting a white rose in the vase on the grave as he talked softly to it. Heero watched quietly. He didn't want to disturb Duo; as much as he wanted to smother the other with love and never let him go, Duo deserved this moment of privacy.

Duo smiled sadly at the small stone that in a childish very broken script read Helen Maxwell. He sensed a presence behind him. He knew some of the rats sometimes came to check on him so he ignored it. Once he was done he stood and turned to his spectators. His eyes widened when they caught sight of Heero watching him quietly while holding the hand of DJ the small street-rat who probably led him here. Duo's mind blanked and he turned on his heel and tore out of the ruins and into the nearest alley.

"DUO!" Heero called. He wasted no time lifting the girl up and over his shoulder before giving chase. DJ hung onto Heero tightly. She was too shocked to question why Shin ran or why his friend had taken the time to bring her when he would be much faster without her. Her mind was focused entirely on hanging on for dear life.

Heero ran at top speed to keep up with Duo knowing that if he went even a second slower he might lose Duo and never find him again. He was all too familiar with Duo's skill in running and hiding and he wasn't about to let Duo run off without telling the boy many things that his mind currently pushed aside in favor for focusing on keeping track of Duo.

Duo was fast and light on his feet. He knew the colony inside and out, but he also knew Heero. If he slowed down any Heero would catch up and overpower him. If that happened he'd have to face Heero and the possibility that-

He shook his head. He couldn't think of that now. Not if he wanted to avoid it. He ducked down alleys left and right, but Heero despite being slowed by his insistence on bringing DJ wasn't in the least hindered and keeping up with him.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Heero grunted softly as he kept up his speed. His mind focused solely on the braided boy before him. Only his fear of forever losing Duo kept him from giving in to the exhaustion that ate at him after days of barely eating more than a nutribar and the weight of the girl he refused to let go. If he lost sight of Duo she'd be his only connection and she reminded him of the girl from his memories. If all this worked out and he didn't end up losing Duo he wanted to give her a home. If Duo wanted that of course, but for now Duo was more important. Heero grunted again and hoisted the girl back into her safer position.

Heero growled annoyed as three thugs blocked his way and cut him off from pursuing Duo. He slowed as he watched Duo dive down an alley way. Heero was forced to stop as the thugs showed no signs of moving he glanced around for options; his eyes never truly leaving the thugs. He ignored what they were saying. Duo was more important. He had to find a way. He didn't want to have to fight these thugs and risk wasting too much time on them or risk killing them.

DJ cried out as the thugs charged at her and the stranger carrying her. She then screamed in fear as she felt the sudden weightlessness of being in mid-air. The stranger had jumped what seemed an impossibly height up and managed to land them on the fire escape of one of the two buildings that made up this alley. Soon he was running again. All the while he hadn't let go of her. She looked at his face and gasped.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Duo gasped for breath as he slowed to a stop to catch his breath while he could. He'd never run at top speed for this long, but it seemed his last turn had finally thrown Heero off his track. He knew he could never face Heero knowing that the other knew the truth now. Of course he knew the other three knew somehow. Wufei had learned when he told him. How Quat and Tro found out he didn't know or care overly much. They were just friends after all. Heero was different. Heero was his lover; the person he'd come to find he could spend forever with and not end up causing his death. He wanted to be someone Heero deserved not a nothing. As long as Heero didn't know Duo felt he could pretend to be worthy of his love.

Duo knew Heero wouldn't take long to realize his error and correct it so he had to run while he could. He dashed out of the alley only to find Heero just landing on a trashcan. Before Duo could move Heero launched himself at the boy and wrapped an arm around his waist. Duo knew he'd just lost his chance to disappear. Heero's arm muscles clenched around him like steel cables as they fell toward the ground with Heero landing first.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Shin!" DJ cried once they had landed and Heero's arm lost its grip on her. Duo looked at the girl and saw her tears.

"He's sick Shin!" she said hoarsely. Duo blinked wondering what the girl was talking about until her words hit him and he turned to Heero again. His eyes widened as Heero pushed himself up and gave Duo a push toward DJ.

"Go…Run! Get her to safety!" Heero grunted as he got to his feet and faced the thugs who apparently had wasted little time following them and were advancing menacingly.

"Are ya nuts?! Yer barely able to stand let alone fight!" Duo cried as he turned back to Heero.

"You know this place better than me. They want her! I won't let them!" Heero retorted.

In truth Heero wasn't too sure if he even had the strength to lift a finger let alone raise his fists and fight three thugs at once, but he was certainly going to try it. If anything he had enough left in him to keep the thugs occupied until Duo had taken DJ several blocks from their current location. After that he'd certainly get his backside handed to him by the three, but at least Duo and the girl would have escaped.

"Oi oi, yer c'n barely stand on yer own two feet. D'ya really think them two are gonna get far?" one of the thugs said.

"Yes. If it's him then I know they'll be okay." Heero said as he lunged at the three taking two down with a well placed kick and punch combination before launching at the third and knocking him on his ass.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

DJ meanwhile had taken off knowing that Shin would look after the stranger while she went to get help. She was too far from the back streets and familiar territory though. However Shin had once said to go to the white building with the WEI logo on it. He'd taught every street kid what the logo looked like and that Winner was good people. Winner would help her. Shin said so after all.

It didn't take her long to find her way to it. The WEI building was after all the tallest building on all of L2 and the best maintained also. She ran inside only to be stopped by the lady at the desk.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Heero knew he was out of luck when one of the thugs got in a hit to his chest. It hadn't hurt him much, but it certainly had knocked the air out of him and landed him on his back. The three thugs looming over him.

"Well so much for mister super hero." one of them said snidely. Heero could only gasp though. The days of searching for Duo and only the most minimal of care were catching up and left him drained, trembling and feeling like his insides were on fire.

"Yer best back off." Duo said as he stood behind Heero facing the thugs. Seeing them take Heero down so easily only served to prove to him that DJ was right and Heero truly was ill. Duo growled and glared at them. The three stared at him and then at Heero. Duo gave them no time to try and form a plan of attack though. Like liquid he moved quick and true never stopping once as he kicked, punched and bit any part of the three he got his hands, feet and teeth on. his mind played the fight between the three and Heero over and over; in particular the moment when the tallest of the three's foot connected with Heero's ribs and Heero fell to the ground coughing and gasping.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Shin!" DJ called out as she came running back with two men following far behind her. The thugs hearing her call stopped dead in their tracks and took off away from the scene. Duo dropped down beside Heero ignoring the three cowards who ran when more people came. Something was up. Heero was shaking badly and Duo knew this was more than just a lack of proper nutrition. He'd after all during the war seen Heero go full out in battle when the two of them had been kept in an OZ cell for six weeks and OZ had tried to starve them to death for four weeks. It hadn't seemed to hamper Heero back then at all. He certainly hadn't trembled like this. If Duo didn't know better he'd say Heero was suffering from Drug withdrawal.

"Duo, how is he?" Quatre asked when he and Trowa dropped down beside Duo.

"I don't know Quat…it looks bad don't it?" Duo whispered turning to look at his friend.

OEOEOEOEOEOEO

DJ ran as fast as she could to the Winner building and banged her fist repeatedly on the bell that stood on the front desk. Shin had explained that someone would come if she did this. She just hoped they'd hurry.

"How can I help you?" asked the lady who finally came from the back room and looked down on her with disgust.

"Mista Winner!" DJ gasped still trying to catch her breath from running.

"What about him?" the lady asked.

"Shin say if yer need help go ter Winner." DJ explained.

"Mister Winner doesn't have time for the likes of you." the woman said pushing the girl to the door.

"Liar! Shin say!" DJ cried running to the elevator.

"You little brat! Winner wouldn't waste his time on filth like you!" the woman hissed as she caught up with DJ and tried to drag the girl back out the door. However DJ slipped out of her shirt when she saw the elevator open and ran to it. When the door opened and a blond haired man she knew was Winner stepped out she kicked him as hard as she could crying angrily.

OEOEOEOEOEO

Quatre frowned as the elevator opened to a lot of noise and was very much surprised when a dirt covered child kicked him hard against the shins.

"LIAR! Shin say Winner will help! Shin say him word good! Shin trust yer! Shin say you never turn yer back on anyone! Liar! How could yer! Shin trust yer! Shin trust yer!" the child cried angrily as she began punching him until the desk lady grabbed the child and shook her violently.

"How dare you attack mister Winner you filthy little rat!" she cried before going to slap the child in the face only to find her hand unable to move. Behind her Trowa had gone and grabbed her wrist to keep her from following through.

"That's quite enough miss Tailor. Rashid, please show miss Tailor out. I'll draw up her resignation papers when I have time." Quatre said coldly before turning to DJ who sat on the ground trembling in shock.

"It's okay. No one will hurt you and I would never betray Shin. I trust him with my life. Whatever that she-devil said it's a lie. Now tell me what do you need help with?" Quatre said taking off his expensive jacket and with a smug look at his former desk lady draping it over the street child's shoulders to cover her naked upper body. The desk lady still held the child's shirt.

"Shin need help. Him friend come to L2…him friend sick…n fighting…yer gotta help him!" DJ said giving the blond haired man a pleading look. She quickly stuffed her hands down the long sleeves and got up to her feet as Quatre continued to button up the jacket for her.

"Show us the way." Quatre said after nodding to Trowa who quickly grabbed the suitcase Quatre had dropped when helping the girl. The two followed quickly to where Duo and Heero were and Quatre could only pray that he was wrong despite all odds.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Duo, how is he?" Quatre asked when he and Trowa dropped down beside Duo. Trowa watch the thugs run and kept an eye out for more of them. Quatre watched as DJ squatted down beside Duo and looked at Heero worriedly.

"I don't know Quat…it looks bad don't it?" Duo whispered turning to look at his friend. Quatre looked back sadly.

"I don't know Duo… It might…then it might not. We need to get him off the streets. Preferably to a hospital, but there aren't any here I trust enough for his…unique case." Quatre said quietly.

"There's a hotel down t' street." DJ supplied helpfully. Quatre smiled at her and turned to Duo who nodded in confirmation.

"Alright, we'll bring him there and I'll have his doctor flown in on an emergency shuttle."Quatre said. He pulled from the briefcase what looked to Duo like that nifty fold up carrier they had once used during the war when Wufei had gotten hurt on a mission and they had to carry him to their safe house. Quatre unfolded the carrier and together with Duo he hoisted Heero's shaking form onto it and comfortably situated the boy and tied the cloth over Heero so the boy wouldn't fall if he trashed. Trowa had gone ahead to check them in and call Doctor Colton Heero's private doctor.

Quatre could only hope they weren't too late. Wufei had told him when he came back from his last mission. Wufei had been very much bothered by what he'd learned, but with Duo away on his anniversary visit Wufei had turned to Quatre for advice especially when Heero had called him to find out where Duo was. He'd expressed his worry for their friend who had likely not taken any medication since before their mission and if Heero's current condition was something to go by then Wufei had been right.

"Quat?" Duo asked looking at his friend.

"Yes, sorry I was just thinking. Come on let's get him to the room. DJ will you run ahead and open the doors for us?" Quatre said shaking his head. DJ nodded and ran out in front of them. Trowa was already waiting by the elevator and the desk lady told them they could use her code for the elevator that would allow them to skip all floors between ground and their floor. Quatre thanked her and helped Duo get Heero in the elevator as DJ already entered the code she'd heard the lady tell them. Quatre smiled and thanked her as the elevator took them up to the top floor.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Duo stared at Heero's trembling form in the hotel bed. Quatre had called for Heero's personal doctor and assured him that all would be fine. Duo sighed softly. He wanted nothing more than to crawl under the blankets and stay with Heero, but Heero knew now. He knew Duo was no more than gutter trash and he probably also knew about the Maxwell tragedy.

Heero whimpered in his sleep and curled up. DJ watched both adults from where she sat on the windowsill. She pondered the happenings of the day while keeping a wary eye on both grownups. She knew Shin struggled with this recent development and he would rather be somewhere far from here, but on the other hand there was the stranger with the messy hair who slept restlessly in the bed. He'd come from earth to L2 with the sole purpose of finding Shin. He'd not let those thugs get in his way and he'd refused to let them near Shin and her despite being in no state to fight.

Duo bit his lip and got up. He'd made up his mind. He'd go before Heero woke up and avoid having to find out that Heero was going to dump him and be with Relena.

"Yer not leavin'." DJ said hopping down from the windowsill and going to sit in front of the door.

"DJ..." Duo said staring at the girl.

"He needs ya Shin." DJ said giving Duo a stern look. Duo shook his head and ruffled her hair.

"S not that easy kid." Duo said giving the girl a sad smile.

"S never easy. When's it ever been easy fer us?!" DJ said glaring at Duo.

"DJ ya dun understand." Duo said annoyed.

"No yer dun understand! He come all this way to L2 just fer yer an' no matter how many times miss Hilde say give up him keep searching fer Shin! Him even sleep on ta street!" DJ said angrily. Duo stared at her in shock when she said this.

Duo was about to speak when Heero began to scream. DJ stared at the bed in shock. It'd happened the other nights when she'd observed him sleeping in the warehouse and behind a trashcan while trying to determine whether he was good people and she should help him find who he was looking for. DJ was one of the few who knew Shin's real name after all. She still didn't know what to do about this though. She couldn't even understand half of what he was saying, but it sounded like he was very frightened.

"Shin..." she whispered worriedly. Duo nodded distracted. He had no problem understanding what Heero cried and he wasn't sure what to think of it.

"He won't calm down." Quatre said from the door. Duo and DJ both very nearly jumped out of their skin at the blond's sudden quiet entry.

"We must wake him before the memory progresses." the taller man that followed the blond in said as he rummaged through his bag to grab medical tools. DJ looked at Duo who blinked and turned to the bed. He took a deep breath then shook Heero gently.

"Cmon 'Ro wakey wakey." he said quietly. Heero flinched at the touch and continued to murmur.

"It's just a dream. Wake up Heero... I'm right here...it's okay...you're okay..." Duo murmured as he shook Heero again. This time it seemed to work as Heero shot up in the bed, but after a frantic look around the room he slumped against Duo and hung against the other trembling badly.

"Heero, do you remember me? I'm doctor Colton. Quatre tells me you've not been taking your medicine. Well we can't start you on those anymore now. I have been calling you for days to tell you that your body was growing immunity for it." the doctor said once Heero acknowledged his presence and allowed him to give the boy a checkup.

"Uhm..." Duo began unsure of what had just happened and what was going on now.

"He has horrid nightmares of his past. He won't tell me what about as it's apparently very classified. Not that I need be told. Someone with his genetic build-up didn't get it naturally. I'm his doctor though so as long as he's not a liability to himself or others or his health drops suddenly and inexplicably I'm not at leisure to give my opinion. Though if the man weren't already dead I'd have some choice words I'd like to share with him. Now Heero, I want you to rest up and preferably not be moved until you're over your withdrawal symptoms fully. Once you are I'll be back to discuss our options. Now young man? Are you mister Maxwell?" the doctor asked looking at Duo who nodded numbly as he listened.

"Good because you're listed as his spouse I believe they call it now. In short you're the one I talk to about permission to remove blood or give medicine when Mister Yuy can't. I'd like to take some blood samples and test some new medication on them. Mister Yuy's is an unusual case and we have to take the utmost care with medicine. One never knows how his body reacts to it given the conditioning he went through." the doctor said quietly as he finished checking Heero's health.

Quatre smiled and led DJ out the door quietly to give Duo time alone with Heero once the doctor left.

"Come little one, you're going to take a bath, get some well deserved rest and some decent food. The order of which is negotiable." Quatre said smiling as the girl looked at him with big wide eyes. If Shin hadn't told her he was good people she'd never have accepted of course, but Shin said he could be trusted and he did help and food... DJ nodded quickly smiling back.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Duo sighed softly. The doctor had come back the next morning to check on Heero and explained to Duo and Quatre who were there at that moment that they found a new medicine that Heero's body had a positive reaction to. Quatre had simplified the doctor's long explanation to mean that the medicine did what it had to do and Heero's unique system didn't reject it or suffer negatively from it. The doctor had given Duo a small bottle and enough sterile syringes for a week. After that he'd get the same medicine in pill form, but for now they needed to administer it directly into his blood since his body was needing it directly.

The last four days Heero had been very much out of it and the first days were spent eating and sleeping; waking at random moments and staring at the spot Duo had been sitting in and only falling back to sleep once he'd seen Duo was there. The other day he'd been awake but very much out of it from the medication. Duo had mostly been amused as DJ had been there when Heero was awake and had the greatest fun talking to Heero whom Duo found out when out of it would tell you anything and had this silly grin on his face.

Now though he was alone since DJ had been kidnapped by Trowa and Quatre to be properly cleaned and dressed; Duo chuckled at that thought. He remembered how he'd felt when sister Helen had him wash properly and put him in new clothes. He looked at Heero who was looking at him every five seconds. The doctor had assured him that it was perfectly normal for Heero to be out of it like this. According to the man Heero had been conditioned to always be in control and so most drugs didn't work. This one however did work as it should and the only side-affect was that it made Heero fall into a state similar to that of someone who is drunk off his rocker and bordering on the edge of passing out. Duo more than anything wanted to leave and collect his thoughts on the matters the only way he knew how. However Quatre and Trowa had made him swear not to leave the hotel room and Heero's side. They knew he couldn't lie or break a promise so it'd been the perfect way to keep him from running and hiding forever. Right now though Duo had other things to think about. Before they left Trowa had confided in him that after waking from his failed self detonation Heero had first demanded to know where the others were and only when Trowa had told him that Duo had gone with Quatre and that they escaped safely like Wufei and he had Heero had calmed and accepted treatment and asked to be talked up to speed with things. Trowa had stressed how Heero's whole form had been tense until Trowa mentioned Duo being safe which was when the tension seemed to seep out of him like water.

Duo blinked and found Heero looking at him intently. Only his dilated pupils giving away that the medicine was still affecting him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Heero asked quietly. Duo swallowed to try and rid himself of the rising fear. He'd hoped to avoid having to explain. How did he explain this without hurting Heero's feelings?

"I…" Duo whispered not looking at Heero. He looked up though when he heard the rustle of moving blankets and found Heero stumbling over the queen-sized bed toward him. What could he say? 'I didn't trust you not to hurt me'? 'I was scared'? either one would be met with a demand for further explanation and would lead only to more hurt. How was he to explain that he hadn't wanted to have his past destroy what he and Heero had.

"Duo?" Heero whispered nearly falling onto Duo as he overbalanced on the soft blankets and slipped.

"I…I was scared…" Duo finally choked out. Heero struggled a moment and finally managed to get himself where he wanted to be. He ran a hand gently along the side of Duo's face and kissed him gently. It wasn't like his usual kisses which were fierce as his eyes were and intense. Instead it was warm and loving like the way he kissed Duo whenever the other woke from terrible nightmares.

"Why were you scared? Did you think I'd stop loving you? That I'd chose Relena over you if I knew? Is that why you don't like me working for her?" Heero asked making Duo look him in the eye.

"I…I was scared…scared to get hurt again…I didn't want to tell…for fear that you'd hate me….hate what I am…where I came from." he finally admitted.

"I fell in love with you because you were so lively and so beautiful and funny and you were everything I will never be. Being around you made me feel alive. It scared me a lot. We were fighting a war…I didn't want to one day wake up and find you'd been murdered…so I fought beside you and waited…toward the end…I almost dared to hope for a future for us…I…I pulled through back then because I saw your face…I couldn't die…not without knowing if…if you…if we…if there was a chance for us…Then during the Marimeia incident I found something was wrong…I had to fight though…so I did all I could to hang on and continue with my mission…then after…it was just a confusing time…so much happened and then you asked to…be mine…I…I didn't know how to express the feelings within me…No I couldn't ever hate you Duo. I've loved you since the first time I saw you…even if you did try to kill me that one time…and a few times after…anyway what I'm trying to say is…I don't care who you are or where you came from. I love you and nothing can change that…I…love…" Heero went on. It was as though all of the thoughts that'd gone through him while he had been out searching for his lost love came out all at once and he could do nothing to stop them regardless of how stupid he felt he sounded. His body was so heavy now though and he couldn't focus anymore.

Duo stared down at Heero all throughout the other's long speech. He couldn't believe what he heard. Heero still loved him even now he knew? But… His mind just couldn't wrap around it all and by the time he finally snapped out of his thoughts on what had been said he noticed Heero had fallen back to sleep and was clinging to his braid desperately. Duo smiled. All the things that made Heero so uniquely Heero had melted away as he slept.

Duo had always loved watching Heero sleep. With all the intensity and control swept away as sleep claimed him and whisked him away to unknown dreams it was as though he could see the true Heero. He had a lot to think about right now. The past week he'd had a lot of time to think things over while watching Heero. He'd come to the conclusion that this year something had been different in his life. The other years he'd taken the greatest care to hide his tracks so Heero wouldn't find out he ever left. This year though it had been different. They'd had their fights and scrapes before, but never like this year. Heero became more reclusive and was often away from home on missions for Relena. Thinking about it now though Duo began to realize things he'd missed before. Subtle things anyone would've missed; but they hit him like a sledgehammer now.

Heero's tightly clenched fists that had trembled with what he'd thought had been withheld rage, but now knew to be Heero trying to hide his sickness. Missions Relena called Heero away for sometimes lasting for a week or longer that might well have been ways to hide the truth. Duo knew he'd been blinded with jealousy and his own insecurities. He knew that he'd always felt inferior to Relena and even though Heero chose him Duo couldn't help thinking that lately maybe Heero wasn't as gay as he said he was. He knew that it was wrong to think that, but it was easier to hate Relena in silence than to have to admit that he knew she was far better than him.

Heero's phone rang and caused Duo to jump in shock. He quickly answered it.

"Duo? I guess Heero is sleeping then. I…how bad is his condition really?" Relena asked. Duo stared at her digital image that popped out of the small unit that was Heero's personal cell phone.

"He is sleeping right now. According to the doctor if he takes his medication he should be fine…provided his body doesn't develop immunity to it again. Relena?" Duo said quietly.

"Yes Duo?" Relena asked looking at the braided haired man worriedly.

"Did…when you called Heero for a mission…were they really missions?" Duo asked. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to hear, but he had to know for some reason.

"No. I hardly call on him for real missions anymore. He wasn't happy when I suggested he train the security team for me so he'd have more spare time. I had taken him to the hospital after the Marimeia incident so I knew about his condition. I told him time and again to tell you, but he didn't want you to worry about him even more. So I agreed to cover for his doctor visits. He's a stubborn man." Relena said before looking at the door. Duo was then treated to a side of Relena he never knew the girl had as some official looking guy came in went on a tangent about duties and other things until Relena cut him off and quite rudely told him to get lost unless he wanted to find out just how much of a pacifist she still was. They then said their goodbyes and Duo promised to take good care of Heero.

'He didn't want me to worry…did he not tell anyone about the condition? Relena heard from the doctor so she doesn't count and Quatre only found out after Heero's last mission. Duo laughed softly as he saw the irony of it that poor Wufei carried the secrets of both of them with him and had told both to grow a pair already and tell the other. Somehow it was comforting for him to know Wufei was still their conscious like he'd been time and again during the war. Heero had been their strength and heart, Quatre their genius and soul, Trowa their guard having their back any time even if they didn't like it, but Wufei had always been their guidance; their conscious. He pointed out their mistakes bluntly so, gave them a path to follow when they lost their own and in his own unique way looked out for them from the back. These roles fit their nature also which had been one of many things that made Duo feel out of place. Even if the others claimed he was the glue that kept them all together. He couldn't see that himself.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Duo…" Heero croaked softly. He'd just woken from his medicine induced slumber. Someone grabbed his arm and he saw a syringe; he trembled badly now.

"No…no…please…no more…please I'll be good….I won't fail….please no more…." Heero whimpered trying to pull his arm free and failing.

"It's okay Heero. It's just medicine. No one will hurt you." a voice said. A familiar voice; Heero couldn't place where he'd heard it before, but the syringe was attempting to enter his arm.

"No…lies…no! I don't want more medicine! I don't need any! Lies it's not good!" Heero thrashed harder and actually managed to get free twice only to be captured.

"Dangit Heero! It's me Duo!" Duo cried desperate to help his love who seemed to have woken up, but was now fighting him.

"No! No more please! I'll be stronger! I'll be good! I'll do it right for sure! " Heero cried as Duo had the devil's own time wrestling his still weakened lover down and giving him his medicine. Heero went limp when the needle entered his arm and stared at it. His breath was coming out in panicked squeaks.

"Fuck!" Duo gasped when Heero began to fight anew once the needle was removed. Duo stayed where he was keeping Heero from running away and wrestled the other just to be able to get to the phone and call someone.

"Quat! It's Heero! Something's wrong! Is that doctor guy still with you?" Duo said cursing loudly when Heero managed to punch him in the face.

"Frag-it Yuy! That fraggin hurt ya turd!" Duo yelled angrily as the phone had dropped under the bed and Duo landed on the ground with a sore head and a slowly blackening eye.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Trowa?! Go get doctor Colton please! Heero's reacting badly to his medicine I think." Quatre called getting up from where he'd been sitting and reading some files from his company.

"You're not sure?" Trowa asked poking his head out of the kitchen.

"Well it's not a visa-phone, but I could hear fighting and Duo got punched I deduced. Just hurry. Duo reverted to slang which is never a very good sign. Also I don't like what I could hear Heero yell." Quatre said closing his phone when he realized Duo had dropped his and had other things on his mind then picking the phone back up.

"Right. I'll go call him and we'll go right away. You think he might have relapsed while the drugs affected him?" Trowa asked as he put away his bowl of cake mix in the fridge and turned off the oven.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Duo cursed angrily as he tried to keep Heero from escaping the room. Who knew what he'd do if he was in this mindset. Finally Heero backed away into one of the rather narrow corners of the room. His eyes were unfocused and panicked and he was slowly but surely starting to hyperventilate it seemed. Duo had never seen him like this before; not even in the three years he shared a house with him and a bed.

Duo gasped when Trowa and the doctor came into the room and Heero tried to escape immediately. The doctor however seemed to have excellent reaction speed and caught the boy mid escape. If he weren't worried about the questionable effect of the medication on Heero's mindset Duo would've wondered how the doctor was able to keep Heero captive easily when he'd had the devil's own time just holding on to the other boy's arm.

"Mister Barton if you would please?" the doctor said. Trowa merely nodded and gave Heero a pinch to the pressure point in his neck. The result was instant. Heero slumped in the doctor's arms and the doctor put him down on the bed again.

"Now then, I believe you thought the medicine did this?" the doctor said sitting down and rubbing his side where Heero's foot had managed to connect before the boy passed out. Duo nodded staring at the now unconscious Heero who lay on the bed.

"Sadly it's not the medicine that are hurting him. Because he was conditioned to be immune against drugs Heero's body reacts stronger to the medicine that do affect him. Normally he's very much in control of every aspect of his person, but with the medicine working to make him better affecting him stronger Heero loses that iron willed control over his feelings and thoughts and will be rather out of it. Unfortunately he'll also be more emotional. This coupled with what I'm sure was a very traumatizing childhood causes him to react badly.

"For now let him rest, but if it looks like he will actually fall asleep wake him up. Right now it's not good for him to have nightmares...I'd prefer it if he would see a psychiatrist and get some of his horrors at least off his chest, but I can understand why he'd refuse." the doctor said.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Upon Quatre's request Trowa stayed with Duo.

"I don't get it Tro...he's never reacted like this before...not once in all three years we lived together did he react like this...I sometimes wondered if he even had nightmares..." Duo said quietly.

"During the war when he was in a coma there were times when it looked like he was in pain, but he never cried out or woke up until 2 months had passed..." Trowa said.

For a long time the two watched Heero in silence for signs of him waking or falling asleep for real. Neither spoke and Trowa watched Duo from the corner of his eye. A quiet Duo wasn't usually a good thing.

"You know? I just realized...Heero takes preventor missions only at certain moments...I never really thought about it before. Something Wufei said made me realize it." Trowa murmured staring at his friend.

"What?" Duo said turning to him. Trowa smiled sadly. He knew Quatre had been adamant that Duo figure it out without them helping, but Trowa knew that unlike him and Quatre Duo and Heero needed help to discover such things.

"Wufei and I talk from time to time when his meditation can't help him deal with new knowledge or things he was told in confidence. I noticed before that there are only 2 months each year when Heero takes Preventors missions in succession. In January and in August. This year is also the first year he came back earlier from a mission." Trowa said giving Duo a knowing look.

"I know..." Duo murmured not looking at Trowa.

"I know he always has missions during my week...'s why I time my visit to his mission departure...that way I'll be back before he realizes I was ever gone...but this time we had a fight...I assumed he'd just go on mission again thinking I went out for a while or something." Duo murmured.

"But he didn't...he thought you left him...I don't think it was just the two of you arguing...It's been nearly 15 years since the wars...We're not how we were back then Duo, but for Heero some things just take longer...I can say this because I'm similar to him. I understand how hard it must be for him to admit certain things. Quatre and I fight more often than not Duo...but we make up. Yes, we always make up. I think...yes I'm sure you should tell him the argument won't change how you feel. I think he needs to know that...his doctor is right though...he needs to talk about it...I know enough from Quatre's research at the time that I've a fairly good idea of what that bastard put him through and your recount of his outburst earlier confirms my suspicions..." Trowa said quietly. His phone rang shortly after this and he went to stand by the window to talk to the caller.

Duo took this time to observe his lover. Heero lay curled under the blankets and looked so different from what he'd known the other to be. Trowa's words revolved through his mind. The happenings of the past few days mixing with it and making it all a jumbled heap of confusion.

"I'm going...I'll be back by dinner...I swear I will." Duo said finally as he got up and ran out of the room.

Trowa watched the boy leave and turned back to his call.

"He's run...no I don't think we need to. He swore he'd be back by dinner." Trowa said. On the other end Quatre agreed and hung up.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Hey brat." Duo said when he found DJ staring at the remains of the church.

"Shouldn't yer be with yer guy?" DJ asked quietly.

"Need fresh air. Will go back...later...What bout you? Thought yer were at Blondie's." Duo murmured.

"I gave em the slip...he's nice n all, but a might too nice..." DJ said quietly. She was wearing a clean pair of jeans and a shirt and summer jacket and her hair was clean.

"He wus nice enough to put s'm smelly bug killer stuff on my clean head n not ask why I go." she said looking at Duo from the corner of her eye.

"He know's yer can't keep streetrats tied down. He's good people." Duo said smiling warmly.

"Them all are. Yer found good family." DJ said smiling as she turned to look at the graves by the church remains.

Duo stared at her a long moment then looked up breathing deeply several times. DJ looked at him confusedly when she noticed he was quietly crying.

"Shin?" she whispered worriedly.

"I'm fine..." Duo whispered back hoarsely and for the first time in his life he truly felt like those words were the fullest truth.

"Shin? I been think'n...Mista Winner say I c'n live in a house if I wanna..." DJ said quietly once she was certain he was okay.

"That so hm? Well then he got a problem cuz Ro won't agree ter that." Duo said smiling.

"Wha?"DJ said confused.

"Ro, my friend? He wanna 'dopt yer. I'm think'n ya remind him o someone." Duo said. DJ grinned at this.

"Kay. Mista Winner's nice n all but I dun think I'd be able ter live there. I be need'n a map jest ter find tha toilets." DJ said. Duo laughed at this and turned away from the ruined church. He walked to the two adult graves and smiled warmly.

"I'll be back next year...n I'll introduce you to him." he whispered running his finger over the child like writing of the name of the father and sister that he'd personally written on the wooden crosses he'd made for them.

OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Four months later Duo and Heero left the hospital with DJ close behind.

"Well we better hurry if we want to be on time for the reunion. It's hard to believe 10 years without war." Duo said smiling.

"Yeah, I wonder how they'll react to the news." Heero said lifting Duo's hand that was in his own. His hand was no longer trembling.

"We'll have 2 things to celebrate tonight." Duo said smiling happily. He'd never thought it possible, but without realizing it he'd found what he'd always been looking for...a family.

**The end! R&R plz?**


End file.
